Where Have The Children Gone
by EmalieLillianHaleCullen
Summary: Basically from Mary's birth up to the start of season 1. The story is so much better than the summary!
1. Chapter 1

**Robert POV:**

It was almost 1 year after we wed, that Cora became pregnant. Not by accident of course, we had been hoping for an heir. Though I had a slight suspicion that Cora thought our baby was not the heir we wanted but a baby girl as she would speak to the rise in her belly as if it were a girl, simply referring to it as she or her. They baby was due any day now and everything was hectic. A nurse had come to Downton to prepare for the upcoming birth. Elizabeth was highly trained and had nursed in houses like Downton before. I had just left the library ad was continuing up to my room when I heard the soft shriek.

"Robert!" I began a faster pace up the stairs to see my Cora. Her shriek had made me more nervous. When I entered the room, I ran straight for the bed. Cora was lying down, her back arching as she wore a round of contractions off, before another round hit. Elizabeth came in at that moment.

"I believe its time, Lady Grantham." She stated. Cora nodded and turned to me. She placed her hand on my arm.

"Robert, please leave, you can't see me in this state." She said softly. I kissed her firmly and gave her hand a proud squeeze. With that I left. After hours of pacing around outside the door, grimacing at every cry of pain my Cora gave. When finally, I heard it, the cry of a newborn. I could tell it was girl from the cry. The cry was like bells, soft and ringing. Elizabeth welcomed him in and smiled.

"Come meet your daughter, my lord," She whispered. "She's a stubborn one. Didn't want to come out."

Just like her mother, I thought. I sat down on the bed next to Cora, who had the little bundle in her arms. She passed the bundle into his arms. She seemed to fit perfectly. I didn't care that it wasn't an heir. I had a daughter. I stared at her tiny face. I took in everything. Her tiny round head of pale skin, mop of curly dark hair, soft pink lips that took a pouting position and were lined perfectly under her tiny, little patrician nose. When she opened her eyes, I was glued to them. Warm, chocolate brown eyes that swam with curiosity, framed with such long dark lashes. Her eyebrows were very prominent and had a small arch in the middle. I held my finger to hers and she wrapped her little hand around my finger. She was my firstborn, my saviour, and my angel. My Mary. Cora had already decided names. Mary for a girl, Edward for a boy.

"Mary." I stated simply. Cora nodded and kissed Mary's forehead.

"She's beautiful!" I exclaimed. Cora nodded again. Mary's eyelids fluttered shut.

I pulled Cora close to me and kissed her.

"She was definatley worth the wait." I whispered.

"And the pain." Cora added. I smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Robert POV:**

Cora and I were in bed, trying to sleep. Cora was pregnant again with our second child three years after Mary. I kissed her shoulder one more time before trying to sleep. When suddenly I heard the door creak open, and the pitter-patter of tiny feet skipping along the floor. I saw Mary's curls bounce up and down as she skipped. She had a habit of skipping. Something, which would hopefully fade out with time. Cora saw her too. Mary skipped her way over to Cora's side and hauled herself onto the bed.

"Mary. Back to the nursery," Cora whisper-yelled. I watched as Mary's bright little face popped up as she pulled up the covers and slipped under. Her face poked up under Cora's chin as she snuggled into her chest.

"No." She simply stated. Her eyelids fluttered shut.

"Mary…" I warned.

"Be quiet, I's trying to sleep." She stated without opening her eyes. Cora turned her head and smiled.

"Just leave her." She said.

"Good heavens, Cora, we need to speak to Susan about controlling her," I told her. "This is the third time this week. I'll wait for her in the library, tomorrow morning. If you see her, just let her know." She nodded.

"I know, but I'm tired, I'll tell her in the morning. Goodnight." Cora whispered. I kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, darling. Goodnight, Mary." I said.

"Goodnight Papa." Mary muttered. She shuffled down so that all I could see was her curly dark hair.

**Cora POV:**

I waited until Robert rolled back over and start breathing deeply, proving he was asleep, before I tried to get comfortable. I pulled Mary's skinny little body towards me. Her white nightgown definatley swallowed her up. I kissed her curls and rolled over.

I opened my eyes to see Mary's big, brown eyes staring into my own. Her curls were all over the place. She smiled and giggled. I kissed her cheek.

"Mama! You're eyes look silly!" She giggled.

"Oh Mary!" I smiled.

"Did you sleep well, my darling?" I asked. She gave me an exasperated look.

"Yes, Mama!" She nodded. At that moment Susan, Mary's governess, came in. I hugged Mary close to me and sat up. When Mary was born, I liked to be the one to cuddle her, not the nurse. I found the same feeling when Mary got a governess.

"Mary Georgina Mae Crawley! When did you leave the nursery?" She yelled. "Lady Grantham, I'm ever so sorry!"

"Susan. Robert would like to speak to you in the library." I said. She nodded curtly but still reached for Mary. I hugged her tighter. "Don't worry about Mary, she can stay with me."

"Yes, m'lady." And with that, she walked off.

"Mama?" Mary asked.

"Yes, my darling?" I answered.

"Mama, could you please comb my hair today. Not Susan." She told me innocently. I pulled my fingers through her curls. "Susan makes it hurt." She pouted.

"Of course, Mary. But just this once." I said. I reached over to pull for the bell. O'Brien came quickly with a tea tray.

"Here you are, m'lady." She muttered as she laid the tea tray on my lap. Mary sat up next to me.

"Would her ladyship like something else?"

"No, thank-you O'Brien." She left swiftly. I moved the tea tray over.

"Mary, could you fetch your hairbrush?" She nodded and jumped off the bed. She skipped off to her room. When she returned with her large wooden hairbrush. She climbed up on my lap. I ran my fingers through her hair, and then began brushing.

"Are you excited, Mary?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"About what, Mama?" She asked back at me, her innocence shining through. I don't think there could be a more perfect child on this earth.

"About the baby, my darling." I refined. She sighed.

"Yes. But will you and Papa still love me?" She questioned solemnly.

"Of course we will!" I told her. She giggled.

"Good."

When Edith was finally born, Robert and I decided she was the complete opposite from Mary. With golden curls and bright hazel eyes which could sometimes be taken as green, Edith was a small little thing. Robert carried Mary into our room, to see me. She clambered out of his arms and hauled herself onto the bed where she nestled into my side. She looked at Edith curiously, then at Robert.

"Papa?" She asked. Robert looked at her.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He answered. Mary breathed in.

"What is it?" She asked. She looked up at Robert and blinked.

"Your sister, Edith." He told her. Her upper lip rose. She poked Edith's cheek, then her eyebrows lifted and then pulled together. She poked Edith's cheek again and again.

"But I don't want a sister." Mary said.

"Why not, dear?" Robert asked.

"Because… I like it just being mama, you and I." She whined. "Not Edith as well. Anyway she's going to be a nonsense!"

"Mary!" I chided. "She's your sister!"

"Well she will!" Mary whined. "I'm never going to get any sleep!"

"Mary Georgina Mae Crawley!" Robert scolded. "Stop that whining this instant!"

"But-" Mary began.

"For once in your life will you please just do as your told!" Robert yelled. Mary looked up at him. Her big, brown eyes welled with tears. Mary had learnt to cry on demand when either Robert or I scolded her. Now it just became a habit so that she could get what she wanted. Mary jumped off the bed and sprinted out of the room.

**Carson POV**

I sat at my desk, checking the wine when I heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps running down the stairs to my office. Suddenly Lady Mary ran into the room, tears dripping down her porcelain face.

"Lady Mary?" I said. "Whatever is the matter?"

Lady Mary ran over to my chair. I stood and picked her up to sit on my lap.

"P-P-Papa… he-he yelled a-a-at me…" Lady Mary sniffed. She hid her face in the crook of my neck. I felt her tears on my skin. Suddenly Lord Grantham came down the stairs.

"Mary!" He said and picked her out of my arms. "Thank you, Carson. But Lady Mary needs to be spoken to." With that he went back upstairs.

**Robert POV**

I went to the nursery and placed Mary on her bed. I knelt down next to her.

"Mary. You really must learn that things aren't always going to go your way." I told her.

"But-"

"No. There will come a day when something bad happens and you can't just cry about it." Mary frowned.

"I just don't want a sister." Mary told me.

"Well you've got one now, and we can't change that." I began. "But when Edith gets older, I'm sure you'll get along perfectly and you'll love her to bits."

"No. I don't think I will." Mary said stubbornly. "And you can't make me." I sighed.

"Just try. For mama and my sake, at least." I said. Mary rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She mumbled. I squeezed her shoulder.

"Good girl," I said. "Now how about we go see mama and Edith?" I held out my hand and she hooked her hand through mine and we walked off to Cora's room.


End file.
